Who is Angel Rice from Netflix's 'Cheer'?
Everything we know about the young phenom who went viral for her impressive tumbling.
Netflix's Cheer has returned, with a new season following the nation's best cheerleaders as they train for the Daytona championships. This round, the docuseries follows two teams: the Navarro College group we came to love in the first season and their rivals, the mega-talented Trinity Valley Community College team. We also met Angel Rice, an international cheer star and member of Trinity Valley.
The 23-year-old from Georgia is already four-time world champion for cheer, and a USA Gymnastics team member. If you were on the internet in 2015, odds are you saw her viral power tumbling videos, where she did consecutive flips and even won a Guinness World Record. Here's everything we know about the star called the "Simone Biles of Cheerleading."
A post shared by Queen Angel Rice💋 (@qangel_rice)
A photo posted by on
She went viral for her tumbling in 2015.
A post shared by Queen Angel Rice💋 (@qangel_rice)
A photo posted by on
Rice became a national cheerleading star after a video of her tumbling went viral in 2015. She and her mom, Tonya, made an appearance on Today that year, where the teen broke a Guinness World Record, performing 10 double full twists in less than a minute.
She also told NBC News in 2016 that her goal was to compete in the Olympics in power tumbling. Since then, she's become a member of the a USA Gymnastics National Power Tumbling team, winning fourth place at the 2018 USA Gymnastics championships.
She got her start in cheer at age 5.
Rice told NBC News that she became interested in tumbling as a three-year-old. Her older sister also took power tumbling classes at a gym, but the family couldn't afford for both of them to take it, so their mother taught Rice herself.
"She would just watch and try to do what [the tumbling teachers] did," Rice said. "At first, she didn’t want me to do it because it was too expensive. So it made me work harder."
Her mom later began working at a gym, Jam's Athletics, where Rice began cheering competitively when she was five. She later got serious about tumbling and joined FlipCity South at age 12, which was featured in Cheer as the gym where DeVonte "Dee" Joseph also trained.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Her brother's also a cheerleader with Trinity Valley.
A post shared by Queen Angel Rice💋 (@qangel_rice)
A photo posted by on
Rice's whole family is all about cheerleading. Her younger brother, Jaden "Jaymo" Rice, is also a Trinity Valley cheerleader, and the siblings are both featured in Cheer. Both Angel and coach Vontae Johnson call Jaden talented, with Angel saying on the show, "It's actually kinda funny having my brother on the same team as me because I watched him grow from a baby till now . . . "
She still cheers for Trinity Valley.
Both Angel and Jaden Rice stayed enrolled at the junior college in Athens, Texas, for the 2021-2022 season, with the hopes of a consecutive win at Daytona. The 23-year-old has been documenting the school season on her Instagram, along with pics of her family and the kids she coaches at the Stingrays Allstars John Creek gym in Georgia.
A post shared by Queen Angel Rice💋 (@qangel_rice)
A photo posted by on
Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.
-
The Best-Dressed Stars at the 2024 Governors Awards
They're putting an under-the-radar red carpet on the map.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Meghan Markle's 5 Best Royal Re-Wears
The Duchess of Sussex knows what works.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Louis Vuitton's Destination Flagship Sure Is a Trip
It's taking over a five-story building with custom chocolates and fashion history.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'Cobra Kai' Season 6, Part 3: Everything We Know
Don't worry: Part 3 of the Netflix hit's "Finale Event" is coming.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
'The Ultimatum' Season 3: Everything We Know
The 'Love Is Blind' sister show follows six couples through a brutal test of commitment.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
What Happened to JJ in 'Outer Banks' Season 4: Breaking Down Who Killed Him and Actor Rudy Pankow's Departure
One of the original Pogues has left the hit Netflix series.
By Quinci LeGardye Last updated
-
'Outer Banks' Season 5: Everything We Know
The Netflix hit's writers are already working on the next installment.
By Quinci LeGardye Last updated
-
'The Diplomat' Filming Locations: Where the Netflix Series Is Shot Across the U.K. and Europe
From St. Paul's Cathedral to the Louvre to Scottish castles.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
The Ending of 'The Diplomat' Season 2, Explained: Breaking Down Who Planned the Attack and the Shocking Death
Kate Wyler has herself a new enemy.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
'The Diplomat' Season 3: Everything We Know
Here's what we know about the next installment of the Netflix hit, including how the season 2 finale changes everything.
By Quinci LeGardye Last updated
-
What Former 'Love Is Blind' Stars AD, Jessica, Bliss, and Zach Revealed in the 'Love Is Blind' Season 7 Reunion
The Netflix reality stars offered some shocking updates on their love lives.
By Quinci LeGardye Published